A sample analyzer mounting a reagent container with an electronic tag on which reagent information is recorded is conventionally known.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 2009/210444 discloses an automatic analyzer including a reagent container holding unit for holding a plurality of reagent containers with wireless IC tags on which reagent information is recorded, an antenna section for receiving radio wave from the wireless IC tag, an information reading/recording unit for receiving the radio wave returned from the wireless IC tag from the antenna section, and a sensor for detecting the presence of the reagent container at a position facing the antenna section. This automatic analyzer is configured to perform a reading operation of the reagent information when the reagent container is positioned at the position facing the antenna section. The automatic analyzer does not emit a signal from the information reading/recording unit to the antenna section and does not perform a reading operation of reagent information when the reagent container is not positioned at the position facing the antenna section.
In an analyzer in which a plurality of reagent containers is lined and held, reagent information may be read from a plurality of electronic tags with one reading operation, in which case it becomes difficult to determine which reagent information has been read from which target electronic tag.
For instance, in the automatic analyzer described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2009/210444, it becomes difficult to determine which reagent information has been read from the electronic tag of the reagent container positioned at the position facing the antenna section if a reagent information has been read from a wireless IC tag of another reagent container adjacent to the reagent container positioned at the position facing the antenna section. To avoid this, a large arrangement interval between the reagent containers needs to be ensured, whereby the device main body enlarges by such amount.